Many people assume that money is the mainstay of motivation. But in truth, the desire to accomplish extraordinary things is linked to basic human need: We all want to be respected for who we are and recognized for the things we do. While many leaders know this from experience, few know how best to act on it.
In Encouraging the Heart, the best-selling authors of The Leadership Challenge team up again to reflect upon one of the most elusive aspects of leadership—caring—and offer listeners a deeper understanding of how and why it works. More importantly, they extend a set of principles, practices, and examples that show how to energize people to excel and then reach for even greater heights.
Kouzes and Posner maintain that people will aspire to higher standards of performance when they are genuinely appreciated for their dedication and publicly recognized for their extraordinary achievements. And through the uplifting stories of ordinary people in leadership roles, the authors demonstrate just how this is done. They also offer over one hundred and fifty ways listeners can immediately apply the process themselves.
Powerful and personal, Encouraging the Heart is filled with practical ideas for helping others believe in themselves, celebrate their uniqueness, and discover their own value. It shows leaders how they can find their voice and their hearts and, through caring and courage, mobilize people to personal and organizational greatness. In short, it's a work both inspirational and instructional that shows how to master one of the most difficult and valuable leadership skills of all.
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Listener Reviews

" A very different take on leadership. It was refreshing to look at encouraging your staff as who they are. "

Kelsey | 10/21/2012

" Sometimes, a little extra effort in listening and learning how to encourage others can make an incredible difference. Why simply live day to day when you can make a difference? "

Mary | 4/18/2012

" I had to read this for a Leadership class I was taking. It made some good points and I definitely took away some concrete ideas to implement as a manager. But I'd rather spend my spare time reading fiction. "

Heather | 11/1/2011

" We all need encouragement, yet we desire it in different ways. This book has 150 different ways to encourage those in your life. "

Nicole | 7/13/2011

" This book is a really different book on leadership. It's about more than getting people to do things. It's about inspiring those you lead by knowing who they are and recognizing them in ways that THEY want to be recognized. It's about setting a great example for people to follow. "

Kari | 5/22/2011

" I was required to read this book for work. There were a few good stories in it, but overall it was cheesy. "

Beth | 3/11/2011

" One of my favorites in leadership books. The individual is acknowledged, encouraged and becomes a valuable part of community. "

Carolyn | 7/30/2010

" This was a text book I used during my Master's program in a class called HR of the future and what companies need to do to keep good people. It explains how a leader needs to relate to their employees and just like the title says, "Encourage their hearts". "

Angela | 6/16/2010

" This book provides insight and tools to encourage others to perform their best by authentic motivation (as opposed to incentives). Good Read! "

Adam | 12/20/2009

" Great book. Helped me realize that I do not thank people when I do not believe I deserve the praise or the gift. The authors should have kept anything to do with George Bernard Shaw out of book. "

Meghanly | 12/11/2009

" I read this book for my Assistant Principal's Preparation course. Great practical suggestions integrated with the philosophical. "

Alvin | 10/25/2009

" Tell people thank you. Guess we all need reminders. "

Eric | 7/16/2009

" Great, really fast read that's educational for anyone in business for themselves, working at a non-profit organization or working at a large company.

You can read this in about three hours and you'll learn a lot from Peter Drucker.
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About the Author

James Kouzes is the Dean’s Executive Fellow of Leadership, Leavey School of Business at Santa Clara University and lectures on leadership around the world to corporations, governments, and nonprofits. He has coauthored a number of bestselling books, including The Leadership Challenge, A Leader’s Legacy, Encouraging the Heart, and over a dozen workbooks on leadership.

About the Narrator

Erik Synnestvedt has recorded nearly two hundred audiobooks for trade publishers as well as for the Library of Congress Talking Books for the Blind program. They include The Day We Found the Universe by Marcia Bartusiak, A Game as Old as Empire edited by Steven Hiatt, and Twitter Power by Joel Comm.

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